We've All Sorts of Trouble
by Harliquinn
Summary: Things are finally starting to look up for the crew of Serenity. But what happens when the past comes to call? Follows No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. May contain spanking in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Things are finally starting to look up for the crew of _Serenity_. But what happens when the past comes to call? Follows No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. May contain spanking in later chapters.

The original character of Marie was introduced in my story, No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. By the time this story takes place, she has become a regular member of _Serenity's_ crew. Although knowledge of No Good Deed Goes Unpunished is not necessary to enjoy this story, it may help.

Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated.

**WE'VE ALL SORTS OF TROUBLE**

Mal stretched to work the kinks out of joints before rising from his bunk. As he used the facilities and dressed, he reflected on the recent turn of events. Things were actually starting to look up for _Serenity_. For the first time in a long time they had steady work. Their connection with the late Shepherd Book had helped them land a job hauling ore from one of the mining colonies on Haven to the border moons. It wasn't glamorous, but it was work, and it allowed them to continue thumbing their noses at the Alliance. That, more than anything, made him all sorts of happy.

But he couldn't shake the feeling that the itch on the back of his neck was trying to warn him about something. Based on past experience, whenever things had taken a turn for the good, something always seemed to come along and things would start going south.

Making his way into the kitchen, he was pleased to see his crew gathered there. Mal poured himself a cup of coffee and grabbed the last of the rolls left over from the previous night's dinner before taking a seat at the table.

"What time you figure we'll be settin' down on Muir?" Mal asked River as he tore the roll in half and reached for the crock of butter sitting in the middle of the table. The best thing about regular work, in his opinion, was that their grub had improved drastically. Now they could afford to buy actual food, instead of that protein crap they'd been forced to live on for so long.

River smiled. She liked having the responsibility, albeit under Mal's and Zoe's close supervision, of piloting the ship. "We will probably arrive sometime after lunch. Will we be able to leave the ship this time?" She loved exploring the small towns that usually grew up around the ports where they delivered the ore. Some of the towns were still too dangerous, but Muir had settled down. In fact, it had become one of her favorite places to visit. It seemed like the little general store in the center of town always had something new for her to discover.

"Don't see why not," Mal replied around a mouthful of bread. He took a drink of his coffee and continued. "We're not scheduled to pick up another load for a while, and the good people of Muir haven't indicated they got anything going out. So, we should be able to visit awhile."

"That's good," Marie said, looking up the pot she was stirring on the big galley stove. She stepped back and wiped her hands on a towel that had been tucked into the waistband of the work pants she wore. "I wanna see if I can't find some fresh vegetables." By default more than anything, she'd ended up as _Serenity's_ cook, a job she found she greatly enjoyed. "I figure it's close to harvest time, so there ought to be something available."

Kaylee looked thoughtful for a moment. "There's a couple of repairs I need to make that'll require the engines be shut down for a bit. I've been puttin' them off since we ain't stopped anywhere long enough." Besides, she also wanted to explore the few shops in town to see if there was anything that would tempt her to part with some of the coin she'd saved.

Mal tore off another bite of the roll as he thought. It was true that Muir had settled down, but there was still the rough element that was always around a spaceport. Still, they were well known by the townsfolk, so he didn't figure they'd have too much trouble. "As long as you don't go alone and stay in the main part a' town, I ain't got a problem with that."

Kaylee, Marie, and River all began talking at the same time, making plans about what they'd do when they'd landed.

"Okay, people," Mal said, interrupting the girls' excited chatter, "it ain't play time yet. We still got things that gotta be done. You all got jobs, so go do them." He rose to leave the room, intending to head to the bridge to double check River's coordinates and send a wave to his contact on Muir. As he left the room, he smiled at his crew's good natured grumbling. However, it was Inara's voice that caught his attention.

"Simon, could I speak with you a moment?"

Mal hadn't heard the doc's reply, but he hoped the younger man had agreed. Something hadn't been right with the beautiful companion for quite a while, and he couldn't put his finger on what it was. That had him worried.

XxxxxxxX XxxxxxxX XxxxxxxX

"How long have you had this condition?" Simon asked as he folded his stethoscope and returned it to his medical bag. He would have preferred to do this in the infirmary, where he had more equipment, but Inara had requested the privacy of her shuttle. If he was surprised at the information she had disclosed to him, he had hidden it well.

"I've known since before I made arrangements with Mal to rent the shuttle." She rose from where she sat on the couch and moved across the room to adjust the pillows piled at the head of the nearby bed. "It's progressing, isn't it?"

Simon nodded. "I'm afraid so."

Mal opened the door into Inara's shuttle. He'd thought she was alone, but as he entered he heard Simon's voice. He couldn't quite make out what the doctor was saying, so he stepped further into the room, while still concealing himself behind the curtains that separated the living area from the cockpit.

"I've always known, Simon. It's just happening sooner than I had hoped. Please don't tell anyone," Inara said, "especially Mal."

Hearing those words, Mal stepped through the curtain. "Don't tell Mal what?" he demanded. He watched as Inara and Simon exchanged a look. When Inara turned back to him, he could see the tears welling in her eyes. If there was one thing he couldn't stand was a crying woman.

"Um, I will leave you two to work this out," Simon said, stepping around Mal. Turning back to Inara, he continued, "We can talk later." When she nodded, he stepped through the curtains and left the shuttle.

"What was that about, Inara?" Mal wasn't quite sure he wanted to know the answer. He resisted the urge to step closer.

"That was none of your business," she said, turning her back to him so that she could pull herself together and, hopefully, stem the tears that she knew were about to fall. "What are you doing in here, Mal. I thought we've talked about you entering my shuttle uninvited."

Mal shrugged and stepped forward. "Well, I guess you're just going to have to lecture me again about that." He grasped Inara's shoulders and turned her to face him. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I can't," Inara said as she shook her head. She lost her battle as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"Inara," Mal said softly as he pulled her close into an embrace. He held her there while she cried and her tears soaked the shoulder of his shirt. Sensing that her tears were coming to an end, he stepped back so that he was facing Inara. Reaching up, he cupped her face between his hands and wiped the wet tear tracks with his thumbs.

He leaned forward and kissed her softly on the forehead. Without considering the consequences of his next step, he moved to kiss her lips. His heart raced when Inara returned the kiss.

"Mal . . . ." Inara stepped back and held out her hand in invitation. When he placed his hand in hers, she led him to the large, silk draped bed. She gently urged him to sit on the side of the bed and stepped between his spread legs. This time it was she who cupped Mal's face and lowered her mouth to his in a passionate kiss that clearly told him exactly what her intentions were.

XxxxxxxX XxxxxxX XxxxxxX

Mal rubbed the back of his neck. The itch there had been getting worse, and he couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to go terribly wrong. They'd finished their delivery, and he, Jayne, and Zoe were making their way back to _Serenity_.

"You sure we can't stay for the shindig," Jayne asked. He eyed the celebration taking place in a field at the edge of town. "Ain't nothing we gotta do or anywhere we gotta be any time soon." The three things the big mercenary loved more than anything were guns, drink, and women, and he figured he might just be able to indulge in two of the three at the party.

"I hate to say this, sir, but Jayne's right," Zoe said as she studied Mal. There was something bothering him, but she couldn't figure out just what it was.

"We're gettin' off this rock as soon as Kaylee's got her repairs done. Something ain't right, but I'll be damned if I can figure out what it is," Mal responded as he, too, watched the celebration.

They were still arguing about it when shouting drew their attention toward the area where _Serenity_ and a few other ships were docked. _"Ta ma duh __xiàng __guai," _Mal swore harshly as he stepped forward. Two men were struggling to drag Marie toward a ship docked nearby.

Zoe lay a restraining hand on Mal's arm. "You can't just go barreling in there, Sir."

He turned back, ready to verbally blast his first mate, but stopped and gained hold of himself when he saw the look of concern and determination in her eyes. "Jayne," Mal said as he turned to the mercenary, "how are your acting skills?"

"Whatta you got in mind?"

"We need us a diversion so Zoe and I can sneak up on those two _wang ba dan_ and get Marie back."

Grinning, Jayne reached into his pocket and pulled out a small flask. "Knew there was a reason I don't go anywhere without it." He took a hefty swallow of the contents and splashed the remainder over his clothing. Zoe and Mal returned his grin as the scent of strong home-brewed alcohol drifted to them. Tucking the flask back into his pocket, Jayne adjusted his stance so that it looked like he might topple over at any moment. "Whatta ya mean I'm drunk. I ain't drunk," he said in a very convincing slur.

Mal nodded. The big mercenary was a true _hwen dan_ most of the time, but he could generally be counted on in a pinch. He watched as Jayne staggered off in the direction of Marie and her two captors, then he and Zoe followed at a discrete distance.

Jayne, singing a drunken, off-key version of an ancient folk song, staggered into one of the men holding Marie by the arm, breaking his grip. As he'd approached, he had caught her attention and silently communicated to her not to react in recognition.

"Watch where you're goin' you _qing wa cao de liu mang_," the man said as he pushed Jayne away. In the struggle that ensued, Mal and Jayne snuck up behind the group, their guns drawn and ready for use.

"You got one a my crew members." Mal said from behind the man who had managed to maintain his grip on Marie. "She's a mite ornery, but I aim to get her back." Mal said as he stepped around to face the other man. "I ain't particular how I do it, either."

"We ain't leavin' without her," the man said, tightening his grip on Marie's arm, causing her to cry out in pain. He moved slightly to reveal the gun he was holding to her ribs.

Mal's face hardened. "Well, seems like you're in a dreadful predicament then, don't it. Cause Jayne there's got your man unarmed. That leaves you against . . ." he paused as though thinking for a moment. "Oh, did I forget to introduce you to Zoe?" he asked as she stepped forward and pushed the barrel of her gun into the small of the man's back. "I gotta warn you, she's always been a mite trigger happy."

The man released his grip on Marie's arm and stepped away from her in a direction that also took him out of the immediate aim of the two guns. "She ain't worth it." He turned and ran in the direction of his ship, his companion close on his heels.

"You gonna just let those _wang ba dan_ get away?" Jayne demanded.

"They ain't important. I just want to get the _guai_ off this rock," Mal responded as he pinned Marie with a look. "And I figure you got quite a story to tell as to how you ended up in their company." Marie nodded.

When Mal stepped into the cargo bay of _Serenity_ his gaze immediately stalked over the ship's intercom system. Punching the button to activate it, he ordered, "Kaylee, get your little _pi gu_ to the cargo bay."

Only moments passed before Kaylee, followed closely by Simon and River rushed into the large room. "Cap'n, what's . . ." she started to ask, but was immediately interrupted by Mal.

"You get your repairs done?" he demanded.

"Yes, but . . ."

"Where's Inara?" Mal interrupted again, impatient to get his ship back into the air. The back of his neck was still itching, and he didn't like the feeling. He wanted to get out of there before the men who had attempted to kidnap Marie gathered reinforcements and came back to finish the job.

"She's not coming," River said, unconcerned for the anger radiating off Mal.

Simon glared at her a moment before stepping forward. "Inara has left the ship. She asked me to give this to you," he said as he held out a memo recorder. "There's a private message for you at the beginning, followed by a message for the crew."

Chinese translations:

_Ta ma duh__xiàng __guai _= Damn it to hell

_Guai_ = hell

_Wang ba dan _= Dirty sons-of -

_Hwen dan_ = Bastard

_Qing wa cao de liu mang_ = Frog-humping son of a bitch

_Pi gu_ = ass

Author's Note: The secret that Inara was hiding during the course of the show was revealed by Tim Minear on Firefly: Brown Coats Unite: 10th Anniversary Special, which aired in the U.S. on the Science Channel on November 11, 2012. That secret is referenced in this story. Knowledge of it isn't really necessary, but if you did not watch that special or haven't otherwise discovered what that secret is, PM me and I will share it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes:** Thank you to everyone who reviewed my story. Your comments make my efforts in writing this worthwhile.

Warning: This chapter contains spanking of a teenager. If that bothers you, please don't read it.

**CHAPTER 2**

_Simon glared at her a moment before stepping forward. "Inara has left the ship. She asked me to give this to you," he said as he held out a memo recorder. "There's a private message for you at the beginning, followed by a message for the crew."_

Mal stared, speechless, for several long seconds at the memo recorder Simon was holding out to him. Everyone on in the cargo hold of the ship held their breath, afraid of how he was going to react.

"Why?" The question was asked so quietly Simon almost didn't hear him.

"I can't tell you," Simon stated. "I'm sorry." The regret in his voice mirrored the look on his face. Before he could again offer the memo recorder Inara left in his care, Mal grabbed the younger man by the front of his shirt and hauled him close. Anger was coming off him in waves.

"You know why she left, and you're going to tell me. Now."

Simon had been expecting the captain's reaction. After all, Mal had never been a patient man and was more apt to try solving his problems with his fists rather than with words. "Yes, I know why she left. But I cannot tell you. She told me her reasons in confidence, and I will not break her trust."

Mal's face darkened. It didn't matter to him at the moment that Simon's honor was one of the few things he respected about the younger man. All that mattered at the moment was that Inara was gone, and there didn't seem to be anything he could do about it. Before Mal could react further, however, Zoe and Jayne both stepped forward and separated the two men.

"Captain, we need to get out of here before those bastards who tried to snatch Marie come looking for us," Zoe said, trying to draw Mal's attention away from Simon. She was standing between the two men, while Jayne had wrapped one of his beefy arms around Mal's chest to hold him back. Turning to Simon, she held out her hand and nodded when he gave her the memo recorder. Holding it out to Mal she said, "I know you value your own honor, let Simon keep his. Listen to what Inara has to say on this. Then, if you want to go after her, we can." She, too, wanted to know why the other woman had left the ship, but re-establishing the tenuous peace and getting back in the air was more important.

Mal visibly forced himself to calm and stepped out of Jayne's hold. He looked around at the members of his crew as he dropped the memo recorder into his shirt pocket. They were all looking at him with varying degrees of surprise and concern. "You and me are gonna suss this out later," he said to Simon before turning a hard gaze to Marie.

"You want to explain to me now you managed to get yourself snatched?"

Marie shrugged. She knew there was no sense in trying to talk herself out the mess she was in. "I went to get something from the market. I wasn't more than twenty feet from _Serenity_ when they grabbed me."

"Who was with you?" It was his rule that none of the three young women on his crew were to leave the ship by themselves. They didn't always visit the most civilized placed, and some of the local color could be pretty rough. He figured it was better to have safety in numbers.

Marie's face reddened. She had broken one of Mal's cardinal rules. Given the mood he was in, there was no way he was going to let that go unpunished. "No one," she said quietly. "Everyone was busy, and what I planned to do shouldn't have taken very long." She didn't think it would be a good idea to volunteer that this wasn't the first time she'd left the ship alone. In fact, it was something she'd done quite often. Nothing had happened before, and this moon had seemed safe enough.

"Do you know who those men were?" Zoe asked. Mal wasn't the only one aboard _Serenity_ who had instincts for trouble, and hers were warning her that something was very wrong.

"No," Marie said, turning to look at the other woman. "I've never seen them before." She shuddered slightly as the adrenaline rush began to wear off . "I heard my name being called and turned to look. Next thing I knew, one of them said 'it's her' and they grabbed me."

Mal listened to what Marie was saying. He exchanged a look with Zoe that spoke volumes. When she nodded her understanding that she was to set a course that would take them within communication distance of Gaelach so they could send a wave to Liam Hawkins, he stalked over to stand in front of Marie. "You and I are going to have a long discussion about following the rules on this boat," he said, pointing his finger in her face. He grabbed her shoulder and turned her in the direction of the doorway leading to the passenger dormitory. "Wait for me in your bunk." The hard smack that landed on her backside resounded through the mostly empty cargo bay. He supposed it was Inara's influence, but he knew he was too angry to deal with Marie's disobedience at the moment. Disciplining her now would do more harm than good.

XxxxxxX

Mal paced the small confines of his bunk. He knew his current activity would probably be more effective in the large space of the cargo bay, but he wanted to be alone. Every few circuits around the small space he would pause and look down at the recording device he held in his hand. Sighing heavily, he finally made up his mind and stepped toward the communications console in the corner of the room.

Inserting the recorder into the console, he stepped back and watched as Inara's pale face appeared on the small screen.

_Mal, I'm sorrier than you could ever know for leaving _Serenity_ the way I did. I admit I am too much of a coward to do this in person. _Inara paused and shook her head. _No, that's not quite true. Well, I am a coward, but I didn't want you to try and stop me. This is something I had to do. _

Mal's heart twisted as he watched Inara wipe a tear from her cheek. More tears shimmered in her eyes. He might be hardened against a lot of things, but a crying woman wasn't one of them.

_You told me once that everyone dies alone. I tried to convince you otherwise, but now I understand how right you were. _Inara paused again. This was the hardest thing she had ever had to do. _Mal, I'm sick. I have been since before I first rented the shuttle from you. It's the reason why I left Sihnon. There's no cure, and it has progressed. _She paused to wipe more tears from her cheeks. _I know I should have told you before, but I love you, Mal. I couldn't tell you because I didn't want you hurt. I had to leave for the same reason. I don't know how long I have left, and I don't think I could bear to watch you suffer as I . . . die. Please, do not try to find me. Remember me as I was, not what I will become._ Inara kissed the tips of her fingers and pressed them to the lens of the recorder before the screen went black.

Mal fell back onto his bunk, too shocked by Inara's words to turn off the recording. Still trying to digest what she had said, he paid no attention when the recording resumed, this time with the message Inara had left for the others on the crew. Mal had denied his feelings for Inara, even to himself. Now, he was afraid it was too late.

"Captain?" Zoe's voice over the ship's intercom interrupted his thoughts. Mal scrubbed his hands through his hair and over his face before standing and moving back to the communications console. He flipped Inara's recording off mid-word. "Yeah," he responded to Zoe. His voice was rough to his ears.

There was a slight pause as though Zoe was considering whether or not to continue. "We're close enough to Gaelach that you should be able to get a wave to Hawkins."

Mal sighed. He wanted to drop everything and go after Inara. However, the problem with Marie's attempted snatching was more immediate. I'll kill Liam Hawkins if this was another one of his so-called tests, he thought. "I'll be there in a minute," he said, turning off the intercom. He would need to pull himself together before facing his crew.

It was more like thirty minutes before Mal made it to the bridge. He ignored the looks Zoe and River gave him as he sat in the co-pilot's chair that had been vacated by his second in command. Activating the communications systems, he went about sending a wave to Marie's father.

"Captain?" Zoe questioned when Mal sat back in his chair to await an answer.

"I don't want to talk about it, Zoe," he said curtly. Turning to River, who sat in the other pilot's chair, he gave her a hard look. "And you stay outta my head, or I'll see to it you don't sit down for a week. _Dohn-ma?_"

"Yes, sir," River replied innocently. She wasn't about to tell him that she had read him as soon as he entered the bridge, so she knew exactly what was worrying him. She also knew that things would turn out well for everyone involved.

"_Mei Yong Ma Duh Tse Gu Yong_!" Mal swore viciously to no one in particular. He knew without asking that River already knew everything going through his mind. He was half-tempted to follow through with his threat then and there, but he knew it wouldn't serve any purpose other than to make himself feel better.

Several minutes passed in tense silence before the communication system sounded, indicating that someone was responding to Mal's wave. When he answered, the person on the other end was a stranger.

"What do you want?" the other man demanded shortly.

"I want to talk to Liam Hawkins."

"What about?"

"Now that ain't none 'a your ruttin' concern, now is it? Get Hawkins."

"Well, that's gonna be kinda difficult, seein' as how he's dead," the other man replied, an evil grin spreading across his face. "You could say he ran afoul of the wrong man." The other man's laughter sent chills coursing down the spines of everyone on the bridge.

Mal cut communications. _"How w'rin bu lai_," he said wearily.

"What are you thinking, Captain?" Zoe asked.

"I don't know if that _joo feun chse_ is responsible for Hawkins's death, but he had a hand in it." Mal stood to pace around the bridge. "I gotta bad feeling that whoever it was is after Marie."

"So what are we gonna do about it?" Jayne asked as he stepped onto the bridge. He might pretend to be gruff and unfeeling, but he had a soft spot for the teenager.

"I don't know yet, but I gotta talk to Marie," Mal said as he pushed past the big man and entered the corridor leading away from the bridge.

XxxxxxxX

Marie stood as Mal walked into her room. She knew what was coming, and she was determined not to show Mal that she was afraid. She wasn't afraid of him, just of the spanking she knew he was going to deliver.

"Take a seat," Mal directed. As Marie did as she was told, he leaned against the door jam and crossed his arms.

"I recon we gotta few things to discuss, don't we."

"Do we?" Marie responded belligerently as she leaned back against the headboard and crossed her arms, mirroring Mal's pose.

"You don't really wanna be takin' that attitude with me right now, _xiao mei mei_," Mal said shortly. When Marie didn't respond, his expression hardened. "How long you been seakin' off the boat by yourself?"

Marie thought for a second before answering. "This was the first time."

"So, you're gonna add lyin' to the reasons I'm gonna blister your ass. You sure ain't wantin' to sit down any time soon."

She wince, thinking she should have known better than to try lying to Mal. "Okay," she said shortly, "I've been doin' it for a while. But nothing ever happened," she added quickly.

"Until today," Mal responded. "You're damn lucky we came along when we did. You give any thought to what coulda happened if we'd been even five minutes later." He paused to allow his works to sink in. "I set rules for a reason, and it ain't to hear my gums flappin'."

He straightened and moved toward the bed, unfastening his belt and pulling it free as he walked.

"You knew what would happen if you got caught disobeying my orders, didn't you?"

"Yes, sir," Marie responded with a tremor in her voice.

Mal nodded as he doubled the belt, holding it so the buckle was securely in his hand. He really hated doing this, especially knowing what he was going to have to tell Marie when it was over. But, he couldn't let her get away with her disobedience either. "Stand up, shuck off your britches, and bend over the bed."

She didn't have long to wait before Mal brought the belt down a half dozen times, leaving a trail of fire with each lick. "Do we need to discuss why you're gettin' this whuppin'?"

Marie shook her head in response.

"I didn't hear you," Mal stated as he brought the belt down once more.

"No," Marie answered, her voice filled with tears.

"You gonna leave this boat by yourself again?"

"No, I promise."

"Good girl," Mal stated. "But, there's that little matter of you lyin' to me." The belt fell another half dozen times. Marie yelled with each lick, no longer embarrassed that everyone on the ship would know what was happening. It took her a few moments to realize that Mal had tossed the belt onto her bed and was rubbing her back.

He helped her stand and pulled her into a hug. They stood that way for a moment before Mal stepped back and gave her a minute to pull her pants back into place. Taking her hand, he sat on the bed and pulled her to stand between his spread knees.

"You know I don't like havin' to do that, but I don't know any other way to get my point across to you. You just cain't go wanderin' off the ship whenever the notion strikes. You were lucky that we came along when we did, that ain't always gonna happen. " When Marie nodded her understanding, Mal continued. "You do it again, the whuppin' you'll get'll make this'n seem like child's play."

"Yes, sir," Marie said as she wiped tears from her cheeks with one hand which trying to rub some of the fire out of her backside with the other.

"We got something else we gotta talk about," Mal said, reaching for her hands. His sudden change from stern to sympathy worried her.

"What is it?" she asked wearily.

"I got news that your father has been killed," he said gently as he relayed the scant information he knew from the wave to Gaelach. Tears, this time from grief, once again filled Marie's eyes as Mal pulled her close and held her gently as she cried on his shoulder.

TBC

Chinese Translations:

_Dohn-ma _= You understand?

_Xiao mei mie_ = young lady

_Mei Yong Ma Duh Tse Gu Yong _= Motherless goat of all motherless goats

_How W'rin Bu Lai_ = Things never go smooth

_Joo Fuen Chse = _Pool of pig droppings


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Sorry it's taken me so long to post this chapter. My muse seems to have deserted me for the moment. Unfortunately, this chapter is on the short side. But, I figured you all would rather have a short chapter than to continue waiting on me to post a longer one. Hopefully, it won't take me as long to post the next one.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed or added this story to their favorites. Keep them coming.

**CHAPTER 3**

Mal stepped into the common area and found his crew waiting for him. Tossing the memo recorder toward Kaylee, he said shortly, "play it from where I've got it set. Don't rewind it." He didn't want the other people on this ship to view the private message left to him by Inara. Moving to stand in the corner, he watched while Inara's message to the other crew members played.

When it finished, Mal quickly moved to turn it off before it could begin replaying from the beginning. Turning to face everyone in the room, he finally said. "I don't suppose you want to enlighten us some, Doctor? I figure that's what the two 'a you were talkin' about that day in her shuttle."

Simon nodded and, giving River's shoulder one final rub, rose to stand beside the captain. "Inara asked me to keep her secret until after her recording had been played. She doesn't want our sympathy or our grief. She also doesn't want us to watch her suffer." He paused to look over at Mal. Of all the people on the ship, he believed the other man would be the most effected by Inara's sudden departure. "I tried to talk her out of leaving, but she would not listen to reason."

Zoe straightened away from the wall where she had been leaning. "What is she suffering from?"

"Meracan's Syndrome," Simon stated. Seeing the confused looks aimed his direction, he continued. "It is a degenerative disorder in which the internal organs, mainly the kidneys and liver, slowly fail. She had been in remission for years. But recently, her condition began progressing."

"Is there something that can be done for her?" Kaylee asked as she wiped the tears streaming down her cheeks with the sides of her hands. It just didn't seem possible to that Inara could be that ill.

Simon shook his head. "There's no cure. Although, before I left Capital City, I had started working with a team doing some research into possible medications to slow the progress and keep the disease in remission."

"She's from Sihnon, so she probably went back there," Kaylee responded. "Let's go get her." She turned to Simon. "You can continue your research and find a way to help her. She shouldn't be alone right now."

Simon wasn't sure about Kaylee's plans. "That's what she wants," he said, stepping forward, intending to comfort the mechanic.

"She's confused and doesn't know what she wants," River spoke up for the first time since viewing Inara's message. When everyone's attention was turned to her, she merely shrugged. "Inara decided to take the easy way, but she wasn't sure about her decision." River knew more, but she, herself, wasn't sure how to put what was more instinctive feelings than actual knowledge into words.

Mal stepped forward. "There's another problem." He nodded toward Marie. "Seems her daddy has died, and I got a bad feeling that those two _Go Neong Yung Duh_ who tried to snatch her had somethin' to do with it."

"Oh, Sweetie," Kaylee crooned as she wrapped an arm around the younger girl's shoulders and drew her close. "Of course, we have to find out what's going on."

"How bad off is Inara?" Jayne spoke for the first time.

Simon looked at the larger man, a little surprised at his concern. "As I said, she is out of remission and her condition has progressed. However, she is still in the early stages of the disease."

Jayne nodded. "Well, I guess that means we figure out what's goin' on with Marie's daddy, then we go fetch Inara back." He shrugged, slightly uncomfortable with his crew mates' scrutiny. "Like Kaylee said, we gotta figure she went back to Sihnon. Ain't that where she went last time she left?"

When everyone continued to star at him in disbelief, the big man shrugged and asked, "what?"

Mal shook his head slightly in wonder. Jayne never ceased to amaze him. "We gotta deliver this cargo back to Haven. I figure once we're there we can send waves out to some of our contacts, do some snooping about." Turning to look at Marie, who was still tucked up against Kaylee's side, he continued, "You got any idea 'a what might've happened?"

Marie sniffed, seeing no other choice, she used the tail of her shirt to wipe at the tears running down her face. "Not really. Daddy had a lot of enemies. I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd run afoul of the wrong person, and it cost him his life." She paused to think a moment.

"There was one _hwen dan_ I wouldn't put past kidnapping me or killing Daddy. Hell, from what I heard about him, the fact that Daddy's dead wouldn't stop him from wanting to take revenge on me if he thought he'd been wronged bad enough."

XxxxxxxxX

"Captain, you've got a wave," Zoe's voice over the intercom jerked Mal out of a sound sleep. He shook his head to clear it as the remnants of a dream he couldn't remember nagged at the back of his mind. He absently scratched his bare stomach as he moved across his quarters and activated the intercom. "Yeah, who is it?"

"Sam Ling," Zoe responded. "Says he has some information for you."

Mal instantly snapped awake. Sam Ling was one of the contacts he'd reached out to for information on Liam Hawkins's death. "Patch it through down here," he said as he pulled on a pair of pants and reached for a shirt.

"You're a sight for sore eyes," Mal greeted the other man when the transmission was rerouted to his quarters.

"Too bad I can't say the same for you, you _Chwen_," Sam Ling responded with a good natured laugh. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?"

"Well, seems I got myself an awful interesting situation on my hands." Mal sat back in his desk chair and made himself comfortable. Sam Ling liked to talk, so this would probably take a while. "Someone tried to snatch one 'a my crew members not a day before I find out her daddy's been corspified. Makes a man wonder about a few things."

"Your crew member won't happen to be a girl by the name 'a Marie Hawkins, now would she?" Ling asked.

"Now, just what would you know about that?" Mal demanded.

"From what I've heard, a fellow by the name of Michael Tsai put a hit out on Liam and put quite a price on pretty little Marie's head," Ling stated. "Seems they had a bit of a to-do a while back over water rights or some such thing, and Liam won. The loss of his water rights cost Tsai his land. Word is that he's out for revenge against Liam." The other man paused while gathering his thoughts. "From what I've heard, Liam's death didn't satisfy him. Tsai's taken over Liam's property, but he still wants to get his hands on Marie."

"For what?" Mal asked, almost afraid to learn the answer.

"My contact thinks he wants to sell her to the highest bidder."

"_Qing Wa Cao De Liu Mang_," Mal cursed viciously before thanking Sam Ling for the information. He had to ponder what he'd been told before approaching his crew with this information.

Several minutes passed before Mal rose from his chair and dressed before going in search of Marie. The way he saw it, she deserved to hear the news before anybody else. He found exactly where he'd expected her to be – the ship's kitchen. It was what passed for early morning out in the black, and Marie was performing her duties as _Serenity's _cook.

"How's everything goin'?" Mal asked as he stepped into the galley.

Marie stared at him a moment before returning to the bowl in which she was mixing biscuits for the crew's breakfast. The greeting was uncharacteristic for the captain, and she had a feeling she wasn't going to like what he was trying to find a way to tell her.

Several tense seconds passed in silence before Marie asked, "what did you find out?"

Mal stepped forward to lean his back against the counter near where Marie was working. "You know anything about a fella by the name of Michael Tsai?"

Marie paused. She set the bowl of biscuit batter aside, and, wiping her hands on her apron, turned to face Mal. "Yeah, what does he have to do with this?" The chilly tone of her voice surprised Mal. He'd never heard her speak that way before.

"Why don't you tell me what know about him?"

"That _Hwen Dan_ is the reason my dad sent me to live with my uncle on Jiangyin." She sighed heavily. "He owned a ranch that bordered Daddy's on the north. There was a creek that ran along the border, and they were fighting over the right to use the water in the creek. It never ran dry, so it was a reliable source of water." She shrugged. "He was at the house for some reason. I don't even remember why now. But, he cornered me in one of the barns." Mal started to interrupt her, afraid of where this was going. "He tried to rape me, but one of the hands interrupted him. Daddy sent me to Jiangyin the next week." She studied Mal's face. "You didn't answer my question. What's he got to do with this?"

"Seems Michael Tsai is behind the attempt to snatch you." Mal decided not to share what he'd learned about Tsai's intentions after he got his hands on Marie. That wasn't going to happen, so there was no sense in burdening the young woman with the information. "He also killed your daddy."

Marie resisted the urge to hurl the bowl of biscuit batter across the room. It might have made her feel better, but then she'd have to clean up the mess it would make. "What are you going to do?"

Mal stepped forward and pulled Marie into his arms, offering her what comfort he could with a hug. "Not me … we. We're going to make him pay."

"Make who pay for what?" Jayne asked as he stepped into the kitchen. He stopped short when he spotted Mal and Marie.

Marie stepped back and wiped the tears from her eyes. Taking his cues from her, Mal turned to Jayne. "We'll talk about it over breakfast." He turned on his heel and started to leave the room, but stopped when he stood beside the big mercenary. "Don't bug her about it."

"Bug her about what?" Jayne asked as he moved to sit at the table.

Half an hour later the crew of _Serenity_ were gathered around the breakfast table. When the bowls and platters were empty of food, Mal related what he'd learned about Michael Tsai.

"Sounds like the _go neong yung duh_ is spoilin' for a fight," Jayne said when the captain finished his report. He cracked the knuckles of his big hands and continued, "and I figure we can give him one."

"Must you do that?" Simon asked, irritably. "Do we know where Michael Tsai is now?"

Mal shook his head. "Sam Ling didn't know. But, I recon he's either at his ranch or at Liam's." He paused to share a look with Marie before continuing. "If I had to guess, I'd say he was the _hwen dan_ who answered the wave."

"Well, if we know where he is, what are we waiting for?" demanded Kaylee as she reached across the table to take Marie's hand in her own in a gesture of support.

TBC

Chinese Translations:

_Go Neong Yung Duh _ - Son of a bitch

_Hwen Dan_ – Bastard, jerk

_Qing Wa Cao De Liu Mang_ – Frog humping son of a bitch

_Chwen_ - Dumbass


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** I had a hard time writing this chapter. I felt like I was butting up against a giant brick wall every time I tried to settle on an idea. As I'm sure I've said before, I really don't outline my stories. Rather, I write as things come to me. So, a huge thank you goes out to Ashleyder, who brainstormed with me and helped me to settle on how I wanted this to proceed.

**CHAPTER 4**

"You ain't goin'. So, you just get that idea outta your head, unless you want me to tie you up and dump you in the hold 'til this is over," Mal firmly stated as he checked the weapon he had taken out of the gun cabinet to make sure it was loaded.

"It's my father you're avenging. I've got a right to be there," Marie argued. She knew she was pressing her luck. The end of the captain's temper was quickly approaching. It never boded well for anyone when that happened.

"I ain't arguin' with you, Marie. You're stayin' here with Simon, River and Kaylee. " He pulled a stack of ammunition boxes out of the cabinet and opened each, checking the contents.

Marie moved to stand between Mal and the cabinet, hoping to show him how serious she was about the coming confrontation. "You can't seriously be planning to take on Michael Tsai with just three people. That's _tze sah ju yi_."

"You think I'm a total backbirth? We met up with some of your pa's hands in that saloon we went to when we were scoutin' the area. They're gonna be joinin' us." He placed a hand on Marie's shoulder and pushed her out of his way.

"Oh, that's just shiny. You're trusting your back to men you just met. What makes you think they aren't in Tsai's back pocket?"

"Something tells me these guys like Michael Tsai even less than you do. I don't know, " Mal shrugged, "mayhap you got a notion about whether I can trust 'em." He proceeded to name five or six of the hands who had worked for Marie's father since before she was born. All of them were like family to her, and she knew Mal would be able to trust them with his life. But, she wasn't about to tell him that. "Seems that Tsai kicked all 'a them off the ranch and replaced them with his own men. They got their own score they want to settle."

Rather than being pacified by that news, Marie shouted, "you don't care about avenging my father." Her temper snapped, more out of frustration with being unable to take an active role in avenging her father's death, than out of any true anger. "Oh," she continued sarcastically, "you talk a good game and all, but all you really want to do is get this over with so you can go fetch your precious Inara." Marie's face paled as she immediately regretted what she had just said.

Mal stared at the teenager for a split second before his face hardened and he took a step toward her. He reached out and grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her up until his face was level with his. "_Go __hwong tong._ You'd best get to your bunk before I blister your hide." Mal released her, and Marie took a step back.

"I'm sorry, Mal," she said. "I shouldn't have said that."

Mal turned his back to her and resumed preparing guns for the upcoming confrontation. "You'd best get movin'." He waited a moment until he heard her retreating footsteps before turning and calling her name. When Marie paused and looked back at him he said, "I do want to go after Inara. But right now, getting your daddy's ranch back and avenging his death are the most pressin' matters at hand." Marie nodded and began to speak, but Zoe's voice came over the intercom, interrupting their argument. "Captain, we've got company."

Marie's expression instantly changed from angry mutiny to fear as Mal moved to the closest communication console so he could respond. He studied the young woman carefully as he asked, "tell me it's the guests we've been expectin'."

"It is, sir."

"Good. I'll be there in a minute." Turning to Marie, he continued, "You probably know our guests, Scully and Ling. They're here to make plans."

"Yes, I know them," Marie stated. "They're good men." Under other circumstances, she would have been overjoyed to see the two men, who had been like uncles to her during her childhood on the ranch. However, she was still seething about Mal's unreasonable demand that she stay on the ship.

Mal's gut told him Marie was hatching a very ill-advised scheme, but he didn't have time to deal with her any further at the moment. "I gotta go, but best you get any notion you might have to leave this ship and join us outta your head right now. You're stayin' put, and I ain't gonna argue about with you any further." With that, Mal turned and made his way to the passage that led to the cargo hold and his guests.

Marie stood where she was, watching Mal make his way down the passage. When he was out of sight she moved to the still open gun cabinet. After studying the contents, she carefully withdrew a revolver and, after checking to be sure it was loaded, slid it into the waistband of her pants and pulled her shirt over it to hide it from view.

XxxxxxxX XxxxxxX XxxxxxxX

After Mal and the others left on one of _Serenity's _shuttlesto rendezvous with the rest of the ranch hands, Marie emerged from her bunk. Mal had even stuck his head in the room before leaving to reiterate his orders that she was to stay put. She had other plans, however. Marie knew exactly what she would be risking by sneaking off the ship, but the hiding she'd get would be a worthy price to pay for seeing her father's killer brought to justice.

She had overheard enough of Mal's discussion with Scully and Ling to know they were meeting in a hidden canyon about a mile from the ranch house. The two men would then lead the way through a passage that led from the canyon to the cove where the house was located. The house was protected on three sides by hills and faced out into a wide, open valley, where the bulk of the ranch was situated. Marie knew that offered some protection to the people in the house, but she knew about the hidden passage the men and Zoe would be using to approach the house unseen. It ran through the hills to open at the far end of the cove. Her plan was to follow her friends through the passage and join them at the house. She wasn't sure what she was going to do when she got there. But, she did have to be there.

Listening carefully to make sure she wasn't going to run across Simon or Kaylee, who would try to stop her, Marie made her way to the remaining shuttle. She had flown it before. True, it had been under Zoe's close supervision. The other woman had started the craft and had piloted it until they were well away from _Serenity_, but Marie didn't think it could be that hard to figure out.

Several minutes later, Marie cursed in frustration. Nothing had happened when she'd pushed any of the buttons. It was though the machine had somehow been disabled. Sighing, she left the shuttle and made her way to the cargo hold. If she couldn't take the shuttle, she'd have to make do with the mule. It would take her longer to get to the canyon, but she'd still get there.

She only sighed when the mule wouldn't start either. It was clear someone had tried to make sure she couldn't leave the ship. However, Marie hadn't been hanging out with Kaylee for nothing. She moved around to the front of the vehicle and uncovered its engine. It took her only seconds to spot the disconnected ignition wires. She quickly reconnected the wires. Moving to the control console, she hit the button to open the cargo hold doors. Laughing, she started the mule and quickly started on her way, totally oblivious to the fact that River was watching her every move from the catwalk above the hold.

XxxxxxxX XxxxxxxX XxxxxxxX

Jayne shifted in the saddle. He wasn't used to riding horseback and was a bit sore, which was taking some of the fun out of his part in taking down Tsai. He wouldn't admit it, but the mercenary was pleased that he'd been entrusted with such an important part of the plan. As he rode into the ranch yard, two armed men stepped into view on the front porch of the house. "State your business," one of them demanded.

"I got something your boss wants," Jayne stated as a malicious grin spread across his face. "I sure he's gonna wanna palaver with me to get it." He leaned forward to rest his arm on the saddle horn, giving the impression that he was relaxed and in no hurry to get his business with Tsai over and done.

"Wait there." The guard turned and entered the home. He returned a moment later and nodded at his companion. "Mr. Tsai's willing to meet with you inside." He jerked his head toward the porch railing. "Tie your horse up there and leave your guns."

Jayne shook his head. "Ain't no way I'm settin' foot in that house. We meet out here."

"Inside," the man reiterated.

Jayne shifted in his saddle and lifted the reigns in preparation for turning the horse around so he could ride away.

The man in charge punched his companion in the shoulder and jerked his head toward the door. "Mr. Tsai's not going to be happy about this." His boss had seemed anxious to find out what this man was offering.

"Ain't no nevermind to me if he's happy or not. I ain't meetin' with him inside. It's out here in the open, or I ride off."

"I like a man who sticks to his guns." A short, heavy set man stepped out of the door. His dark hair was graying, and his facial features had a decidedly oriental cast. He stepped out onto the porch so that he was standing at the top of the steps, flanked on either side by his gunmen. "Now, what is this about?"

"Well, seems I got something I hear you want tied up in my cargo hold, and I'm here to dicker on payment."

Tsai crossed his arms over his chest. "And just what might that be?"

"Liam Hawkins's daughter."

"What makes you think I am interested in her?" Tsai wasn't quite able to hide the excitement that crossed his heavy features.

"If you ain't interested," Jayne shrugged, "I'm sure I can find me a use for her. That little girl's awful purty. I know plenty 'a _chwen_, who'll pay good coin for something like that." Once again, Jayne shifted in his saddle as though he was ready to ride away. He was enjoying himself immensely. What he was doing wasn't that far off what he would actually do given the right circumstances.

"Fine." Tsai stepped down off the porch. His men followed as Jayne dismounted and ground tied his horse. He turned and walked away from the house, not looking back to see if Tsai was following. After they'd covered about a dozen yards, Jayne stopped and turned to face the other man. Only seconds passed before a rifle shoot sounded and Tsai dropped to the ground. He was dead from a bullet to the heart before he landed.

Jayne immediately pulled his gun before the two other men could react. "Drop your guns, you _yi da dwei bun chou roh__._" Both men reached for their weapons. When one of them made a move indicating his intention to shoot rather than surrender, Jayne fired a bullet into the dirt at the man's feet. "Go ahead." A grin split his face. "They promised me I'd get to shoot somebody, and I ain't gotten 'ta do that yet." The other men immediately reconsidered their moves and tossed their weapons to the ground, and at Jayne's instruction kicked them in his direction.

At the same time, men swarmed the house from the nearby hills. Several gun shots were heard from inside the house. Eerie silence was broken by a shout. "Comin' out." Half a dozen men emerged from the building, their arms raised high in the air. Following them were the ranch hands who had joined the crusade. Tsai's men were quickly tied and placed under guard in the center of the ranch yard.

XxxxxxxX XxxxxxxX XxxxxxxX

At his vantage point on the southern hillside, Mal lowered his still smoking rifle. He took a moment to savor his victory before pulling the radio from his belt. "Zoe," he waited for his second in command to respond. "It's done. Let's get down there."

On the opposite hill Zoe, too, prepared to slowly make her way down the narrow, steep trail that led from her current perch to the valley floor. When she reached the bottom, movement behind a nearby grouping of boulders caught her attention. Moving carefully so as to make as little noise as possible, she lowered all of her equipment to the ground. Taking only her pistol she stealthily made her way to the boulders. Although she couldn't be sure, she hoped she was approaching from the rear of whoever was there.

Zoe's military training was the only thing that kept her silent when she looked through a break in the large rocks and saw who was hiding there. Placing her pistol back in the holster strapped to her thigh, she entered the small clearing made by the encircling boulders. She didn't know whether to be angry or relieved that the small figure hadn't acknowledged her presence. That was until Zoe landed a hard swat to the girl's backside.

Marie yelped in surprise and turned around to face Zoe. She had heard the rifle shot and the following volley of gun fire, but she hadn't been able to see anything from her vantage point. She had been so intent on trying to catch a glimpse of the action that she hadn't noticed the woman coming up behind her.

"What are you doing here," Zoe demanded in the angriest voice Marie had ever heard her use. "I know for a fact that Mal ordered you to stay put."

Marie figured that of anyone on _Serenity's_ crew, Zoe might be the most understanding. After all, she had heard about what had happened to Zoe's husband, Wash. "I had to be here, Zoe. I had to see Daddy's killer brought to justice."

Zoe merely shook her head. Yes, she understood that sentiment, but not at the sake of the girl's safety. "I hope the whipping you're gonna get from the captain is worth it." She gripped Marie's arm and began pulling her to the break in the boulders. "How'd you get here? I had Kaylee disable the shuttle and the mule."

Marie grinned cheekily. "I wondered who'd done that." She shrugged to indicate the deliberate sabotage hadn't really been an obstacle. "I couldn't figure out what was wrong with the shuttle, but I didn't have any problem with the mule. It's parked in that canyon at the end of that passage." She inclined her head to indicate the same passage Zoe, along with Mal and the ranch hands, had used to enter the cove.

XxxxxxX XxxxxxxX XxxxxxxX

"Our beef was with your boss. Since he's all corpsified now, that leaves us with the little problem of what to do with your sorry hides," Mal stated as he stalked around the group of bound men sitting on the ground. "Seems to me . . . ." He stopped mid-sentence when he spotted Zoe approaching with Marie at her side. "_Mei yong ma duh tse gu yong._" He turned to Jayne. "Watch them," he ordered as he stalked to meet the woman and teenage girl. "What in the _gorram _hell are you doing here?" he demanded. Mal wanted to grab the girl and shake some sense into her, but he didn't trust himself at the moment. Instead, he ran his hands over his face and scrubbed them through his hair. "Nevermind," he said in a low voice. "We're gonna have us a long, serious discussion about this later."

Without waiting from a response from the girl, Mal turned to Zoe. "It's too far to take her back to _Serenity_," he said, almost to himself. "Take her to the house."

"Yes, sir," Zoe responded before taking Marie by the arm.

"Wait."

Zoe stopped and turned to look at Mal. "Sir?"

"Some of Tsai's men are still in the house." He didn't have to tell the former soldier that they were still in the house because they were dead. "Keep her on the porch."

"Yes, sir." Zoe resumed walking, dragging a reluctant Marie behind her.

Shaking his head in disgust at the turn of events, Mal stalked back to the group of men. Approaching the first two ranch hands he saw, he ordered them to go up to the house and haul all the bodies out the back. The two men started to walk away when he stopped them. "Find something to cover up the blood, too."

"As I was saying," Mal continued as he turned back to Tsai's men, "seems to me you got two choices. I can either cut you loose and you disappear, or I can put a bullet in your brainpans right now." He shrugged to indicate to the men he didn't particularly care which option they chose. Secretly, he hoped they opted for the first one. There'd already been enough killing that day. Plus, it had been his experience that men like these weren't particularly loyal to a dead boss when faced with their own deaths. To a man, they all agreed to disappear.

After cutting the men loose and directing Jayne and the remaining ranch hands to escort them off the ranch, Mal turned to study the house. He was still lost in thought when Scully came to stand by his side. "How're you gonna handle the _wu shao nulang_?"

"I ain't rightly sure," Mal admitted. He turned to look at the grizzled man. "I do know when I get finished with her she ain't gonna sit down for a week. After that . . . ." He shrugged. "You got any notion 'a what you're gonna do?"

"I figure the hands and I will continue to work the ranch. A while back Liam gave me access to the accounts so I could continue operations if anything happened to him," Scully stated matter of factly. "Marie's got a home here whenever she wants it." He gave a short bark of laughter. "Wouldn't be the first time I rode herd on her."

Mal nodded his understanding of Scully's unspoken words. "I reckon we'd best give her a choice."

XxxxxxxxX XxxxxxxX XxxxxxxX

When Mal and Scully reached the house, Mal walked past Marie without speaking to her. He walked through the building, making sure all the bodies had been removed. Making a mental note that someone would need to clean up the blood stains, he made his way back to the front porch.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" Mal demanded as he came to a stop in front of Marie. With a glance and nod in Scully's direction, he confirmed the older man's unasked question as to whether the house was clear.

"I'd like to hear the answer to that, myself," Scully stated, moving to lean against the porch railing. "I was given to understand you'd be stayin' behind on the ship while we took care of this."

Marie launched into the same explanation she'd given Zoe. Her resolve almost waivered as Mal's face darkened with each word she spoke. When she finished, silence hung heavy in the air.

"I gotta say, Marie, I didn't ever think you'd be such a _sha gwa_. You're definitely gonna pay for your little adventure." Mal crossed his arms over his chest and glanced at Scully. At the other man's nod, he continued. "But before we get to that, you gotta decision to make."

Marie was confused. Not about Mal veiled promise of punishment. She'd be expecting that. It was the announcement of a decision to be made and the look that had passed between Mal and Scully that had her muddled.

Mal outlined the basics of the discussion he'd had with Scully. "So, you gotta suss out if you want to stay here with Scully and the other hands or go back to the 'Verse on _Serenity._"

"Don't think by decidin' to stay here you're getting outta whoopin', _Xiao Mei Mei_," Scully said as he moved to stand beside Mal. "Cause if Mal don't blister your hide, I will."

Marie nodded in acknowledgement of the ranch foreman's threat. It wouldn't be the first Scully had punished her. In fact, he'd gotten after her more often than her father had. She sighed heavily at the decision she had to make. The lure of returning home was attractive, but as much as she loved Scully and some of the other hands, her family was on _Serenity_. "I need to think about it for a while," she said as she stood and entered the house, intending to hide in her childhood bedroom while she contemplated her choices.

TBC

_._

Chinese Translations:

_Tze sah ju yi _– a suicidal idea

_Go hwong tong _ - enough of this nonsense

_Yi da dwei bun chou roh_ - Big stupid pile of stinking meat

_Chwen_ – Dumbass

_Mei yong ma duh tse gu yong_ – Motherless goat of all motherless goats.

_Wu shao nulang _– Disobedient little girl

_Xiao Mei Mei – _Young lady

_Sha gwa_ - Fool


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: This chapter contains the disciplinary spanking of a teenager. If that bothers you, please hit the back button now.

Also, this chapter contains mention of some of the events in _Serenity_. I figure if you're reading this, you've probably seen that movie. But, be warned it may spoil certain events for you.

**CHAPTER 5**

Marie opened the door to the bedroom that had been hers until she had gone to Jiangyin to live with her uncle. She didn't know why she was upset to see that no trace of her remained in the room. After all, she had taken all of her personal belongings with her when she'd left. The walls, which were once a pale green, were now stark white, and the pretty colorful quit she'd had on her bed had been replaced with a simple brown blanket. Even worse, a stranger's belongings were strewn about the room.

She didn't know whether the things belonged to one of the men who had been killed, but she began gathering everything and placing it in the middle of the bed. Satisfied she had everything, Marie gathered the corners of the blanket and tied them together to form a bundle. She hefted it and hauled out into the hallway. After dropping the bundle outside her door, she dusted her hands together and returned to the room. The linens stripped from the bed quickly joined the bundle of belongings.

After retrieving fresh bed clothes and a quilt from the linen cabinet, Marie quickly remade the bed. She stood in the middle of the room for several moments before bursting into tears. Even after removing all traces of the stranger who had occupied the room, it still felt as if she were a guest in someone else's home. During the time she spent clearing the room, she had thought about how nice it would be to return to her childhood residence. Now, she realized that this building and this room would never be home again. The one person who had made this place her home was gone forever.

An hour later Mal pushed open the bedroom door and quickly spotted Marie on the bed. She was curled on her side facing the door and was sound asleep. From across the room he could see the tracks the dried tears had left on her checks and the wet spots on the pillow.

Sighing heavily, Mal stepped into the room and closed the door. He had come to find out Marie's choice of staying on the ranch or leaving aboard _Serenity_ and deal with the consequences of her disobedience. Instead, he was faced with a teenage girl who appeared to have cried herself to sleep.

Crossing the room, he sat on the side of the bed. "Time to wake up, _mei mei_," he said as he brushed a lock of hair out of Marie's face.

She rubbed eyes that were gritty and sore from crying before slowly opening them. "Mal?" Marie was a little surprised to find him sitting beside her on the bed.

The captain gave a short nod in acknowledgement. "We're headed back to _Serenity_ in a bit. You need to make your decision to stay here or leave aboard the ship."

Marie pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her bent knees. Suddenly she felt chilled and didn't think she would ever be able to get warm. Suddenly she burst into tears again. "It's all gone," she said as she swiped her hand across her damp cheeks.

"Whatta you mean?" Mal asked in confusion. "The ranch is still here. Ain't nothin' missin' as far as I can tell."

"Not the ranch." Marie sighed in frustration. She wasn't sure how to make Mal understand her, especially since she really didn't understand what she was feeling herself. "Did you know this used to be my bedroom?" Marie continued, not giving him the chance to answer. "Someone painted it this ugly beige, and put this colorless spread on the bed," she said as she gestured to the room as a whole. "There's nothing of me left here." Giving a short bark of laughter, she moved to sit on the side of the bed beside Mal. "I had to remove some stranger's things from my bedroom. So tell me, Mal, how is anything left here for me? Daddy's dead, and I feel like a stranger in what should be my own home."

A little kernel of panic squeezed Mal's chest. He wasn't any good at consoling grieving teenagers and didn't have any idea what he was supposed to do now. At a loss for anything else to do, he wrapped his arm around Marie's shoulders and pulled her tight against his side. "Seems to me," he said, deciding to go with the first thing that came to mind, "that home ain't necessarily a particular place, it's where you're surrounded by people who care about you. Now, I reckon Scully and some 'a the other hands got a soft spot for you. Why else would they have risked their lives to get this ranch back? On the other hand, you know you're part of my crew, and my crew is my family."

Without saying anything else, Mal stood and walked to the door. Pausing, he turned to look back at Marie. "The shuttle's takin' off in fifteen minutes. If you ain't on it, I'm gonna assume you mean to stay here."

XxxxxxX XxxxxxX XxxxxxX

Half an hour later, the shuttle settled gently into its bay on _Serenity_'s side. Mal powered the space craft down and sat for a moment in the pilot's seat, listening as the others exited the small vehicle. Wondering, not for the first time, at the turn his life had taken, he finally rose and entered _Serenity_.

As he made his way down the corridor to the bridge, he heard Kaylee's voice raised in demand. "How could you sneak off like that? We were so worried something had happened to you."

Mal couldn't hear Marie's reply. He imagined that the mechanic had pulled the younger girl into her embrace. Kaylee seemed to think everything could be fixed with a warm hug, and darned if the mechanic wasn't right more often than not.

He had a few captainy things to see to, and then he and Marie were going to have a serious, overdue discussion about obeying orders and safety. It wasn't something he was looking forward to. The fact was, he hated having to discipline his girls, as he privately thought of the youngest members of his crew. Thankfully, it didn't happen all that often.

Finally, when he ran out of things to do, Mal went in search of Marie. He found her in the kitchen, deep in conversation with River. Taking Marie's arm, he pulled the teenager to her feet. "You and me got somethin' to converse over."

With a glance at River, Marie nodded her understanding and acceptance of what was about to happen. The look River gave her in return clearly said "you don't have to be a reader to know this was going to happen."

When they reached Marie's bunk, Mal opened the door and gestured for her to precede him into the small room. The door sliding closed behind him sounded to Marie like a gunshot blast.

"Well," he asked after several long minutes, "you got anything you gotta say for yerself, or should we just get to the ass blisterin'?"

Marie sighed. She'd known this wasn't going to be easy, but she really hadn't expected Mal to be so anxious to get right to the point. "I'm sorry," she said, meeting his eyes.

Mal nodded. He moved to embrace Marie for a brief hug. "I reckon I can understand you wantin' to see your daddy avenged. That's just human nature, I suppose. But, you shoulda trusted us to do it. All you did was put yourself and us in danger." He stepped back and held Marie at arm's length with his hands on her shoulders. Waiting until she looked up into his face, he continued, "what if it had been one a' Tsai's men who found you behind those boulders instead of Zoe?" Mal felt the shiver of fear that coursed through Marie's body. "Exactly," he said shortly. "Not to mention that you coulda easily walked right into the line 'a fire."

Releasing Marie's shoulder's he stepped back and began to unfasten his gun belt. "We've been over this very same ground before." Marie swallowed hard as she watched him slide the two holster off the thick leather and set themit aside. She'd expected him to use his belt, but she hadn't expected him to use the thicker strip of leather. "Maybe this time I'll get through to you." Mal doubled the thick leather belt and used it to gesture toward the bed. "Drop your britches and bend over."

Knowing it was useless to argue, Marie did as she was told. She didn't have long to wait until the first lick of the belt left a trail of fire across her backside. The thin layer of her underwear provided scan protection against the thick leather.

Marie tried to count the number of times the leather landed across her backside, but gave up at a dozen licks. It seemed to go on forever before Mal tossed the belt on the bed and stepped closer to rub her back. He gave her a moment to compose herself before picking the belt up and turning away to thread it back through the loops on the back of the gun holster and refasten it around his waist.

When he turned back, Marie rushed into his open arms. I really am sorry," Marie said into his shoulder. "I promise I won't do anything so stupid ever again."

Mal grinned as he rubbed the teenager's back. For some reason, he didn't think she was going to be able to keep that promise. "I hope so, _mei mei_," he said as he stepped back to look down into her eyes, "'cause you ever put yourself in danger like that again, and I'll take my belt to your bare ass wherever I happen to catch you. _Dohn luh mah?"_

"Yes, sir," Marie answer quickly as she reached back to rub some of the burn from her backside.

XxxxxxX XxxxxxX XxxxxxX

Zoe hesitated outside the door to Marie's bunk. She wasn't normally one to share her feelings or talk to someone else about theirs, for that matter. But, she knew Marie was in pain, and not just from the hiding the Captain had given her. She knocked gently on the door and waited until she heard the soft "come in" before entering.

"Zoe?" Marie was little surprised to see the older woman enter her bunk. She could probably count the number of times she'd had a one-on-one conversation with the ship's first mate on one hand.

"You okay?" Zoe asked as she looked around the small room. Marie had made the quarters her own. The room had the slightly messy feel of a space where someone spent a lot of time.

"I won't be sitting any time soon," Marie responded as she rubbed her still burning backside, "but, I'll survive." She was lying on her stomach on the bed tucked into the far side of the room.

Zoe nodded. She shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know if anyone ever told you, but I used to be married."

Marie shifted so that she was lying on her side, facing Zoe. "Kaylee mentioned it. She said he used to the ship's pilot and was killed fighting Reavers."

"Yeah," Zoe responded. She moved to sit on the side of the bed. Awkwardly, she rubbed her hand over Marie's back. "His name was Wash. I used to tell people the Cap'n was lookin' for a pilot, and I found a husband." She smiled slightly at the memory then shrugged as though bringing her thoughts back to the present. "I watched him die, and before I even had time to process what had happened, I was fighting for my own life and the lives of my friends."

"Oh, Zoe," Marie said as she shifted to sit beside her friend, ignoring the renewed pain that position brought. "I didn't know."

"It's not something I like to talk about. But, I wanted you to know that I understand what you're going through with your dad. If you ever want to talk about it," Zoe said, coming to her feet, "you know where to find me." She really didn't know what kind of help she could be to the teenager since she was still grieving the loss of Wash, but something in the back of her mind urged her to make the offer.

"Thank you, Zoe," Marie said as she, too, came to her feet. More than anything, this offer of a sympathetic ear told more than anything else could that she'd made the right decision in returning to _Serenity_.

TBC


End file.
